


Anniversary

by MiladyDragon



Series: Dragon-Verse Series One [5]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Dragon-Verse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-11
Updated: 2012-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-07 11:44:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/430774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiladyDragon/pseuds/MiladyDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events in "Legacy of Canary Wharf", Ianto needs to get his thoughts in order and to mourn.  He goes home to Ddraig Llyn to do just that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anniversary

 

_**1 October 2007** _

 

_**  
** _

The dragon sat on his high rock, looking out over his valley. Not much had changed in the seven years since he'd left, and he took a deep breath of the cold mountain air, just enjoying the peace of the moment.

He'd been home for only four days, and while the surroundings were comforting and familiar, he was still far from well. He sighed, resting his snout onto his crossed forelegs, eyes sliding shut as grief rolled through him. _She would have loved it here,_ he thought, and then dismissed it; Lisa had been far too gone to appreciate the quiet.

It was obvious, with the knowledge that hindsight brings, that she'd been ill far more in mind than in flesh. He should have expected it, after everything she'd been through. But he'd hoped, and that hope had vanished the moment she'd killed Tanizaki. With that loss had come the knowledge that she'd planned it, that she'd picked the scientist because of his somewhat tenuous involvement in her own capture and torment. That same torture had driven her mad.

He'd done the only thing he could have.

It had long been a law that dragon did not kill dragon, and he'd broken that law in order to save ephemerals…and his team. It had been the most terrible choice he could have made, and now he mourned her as only a dragon could.

But Lisa wasn't the only thing he was mourning.

He'd betrayed Jack, and he wasn't sure how he could fix that. It was the one thing he'd thought he'd never do; he honestly believed in Jack, despite everything that had occurred. But the trust…that had gone, and honestly Ianto couldn't pinpoint the specific moment that he'd realized that he didn't trust Jack anymore. It went even beyond the hiring of Gwen Cooper, and the insulting way Jack had integrated her into the team. No, this began long before current events.

It saddened him, because that wasn't how he wanted to feel.

If he'd just had some sort of reason for Jack's behavior; there were times when they were so close, and others where Jack wouldn't talk to him for days unless it was to give him some sort of order. On the best days, they were friends…on the worst, they were indifferent employer/employee.

The dragon really had no idea what to expect next.

Behind his closed eyelids, pictures danced and teased. Memories of good times; beginning their work at Torchwood Three; their talks as they sat on the roof of some tall building, looking down onto a sleeping city; their few intimate times when Jack would teach him just how responsive his human form was to pleasure.

Invariably, his mind would start to dwell on the bad, as well. The arguments over nothing; the times Jack completely cut him out; the evidence that Jack had been out on the pull. His disregard of the dragon's position within the team; his showing off to their newest recruit. That scene on the gun range, that had not only embarrassed him, but also Toshiko and Owen. It was just too much.

He was considering not going back. Would he be able to turn his back on what he thought of as his duty? He was having a crisis of faith, and he didn't know if he could regain it.

He opened his eyes quickly, to dispel the images that danced in the dark of his thoughts. Unfurling his wings, he stood and launched himself from his perch, reveling in the updrafts that swirled around his valley. The dragon began circling down toward the village, seeing it from his high vantage, his powerful eyesight making out the shape of the townsfolk as they went about their business. They reminded him that there were humans worth fighting for; not so the supposedly human Gwen Cooper, who'd so far not shown as much of that vaunted humanity that Jack had seen in her. He remembered quite vividly how she'd looked at him as he'd mourned over Lisa's body, in complete contrast to the others, who had seen a teammate in agony and not some sort of bizarre creature.

The dragon swooped lower, landing in the town square. No one even batted an eyelid as a massive green dragon stood in their midst; and that didn't change as he transformed into his human shape. He loved the freedom of Ddraig Llyn, where he didn't have to hide who he was out of mistrust of what others thought or did.

Ianto walked toward his inn. The _Green Dragon_ had been his for centuries, when he'd given it by the human family who'd taken care of him after his family had been murdered. The Joneses of Ddraig Llyn had been in the village for even longer, descended from the very high priests who'd once worshipped his dragon family. The large stone building was as close to a mortal home the immortal dragon had, and he cherished it.

"Ianto!"

He turned at the calling of his name, toward the front desk where Rhiannon Davies was waiting. She was the last of the original Jones family, and when she'd married Johnny Davies she'd lost her birth name. Now there were no more Joneses left, and it saddened him that he would be the only one to carry the name now.

There was a large bouquet of flowers sitting on the desk. "So," he said dryly, "did Johnny finally develop a romantic bone somewhere in his body?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "Not hardly," she said tartly. "They're for you."

Ianto froze. Who would be sending him flowers? He looked closely at the bouquet, sitting in a cut crystal vase, a splash of color against the dark wood of the desk. It was made up of fall flowers, yellows and oranges and reds, and it smelled wonderful.

"Aren't you going to read the card?" Rhiannon asked, looking far too interested for Ianto's peace of mind.

Ianto plucked out the white card that poked up from within the colorful blossoms. "Why do I get the feeling you already know who it's from?"

She tried to look innocent, and failed. "All right," she admitted, "but it's only because Becca was the one to make up the arrangement, and she delivered it."

That made sense, since Becca Williams owned the only place in the village to make such arrangements. Ianto smirked, using a finger to slip open the flap from the small envelope and pulling the card from within.

His mouth fell open in surprise as he read what was written on it.

 

_Happy Anniversary_

_Jack_

 

Anniversary? What was Jack talking about? Ianto was confused by it…and then it hit him.

He couldn't help but smile, even as upset with Jack as he was. It showed that Jack may actually be willing to forgive him.

"Thank you, Rhiannon," he said, gathering up the vase in one arm.

"OI!" she exclaimed as he walked away. "You're not going to give me any clue?"

Ianto smirked, but didn't turn. Instead, he gave her a jaunty wave with his free hand as he took the stairs up to his room on the first floor.

"You're an evil one, Ianto Jones!" she shouted after him.

For the first time in days, Ianto laughed. It felt good.

Once in his room – his old quarters having been taken over by Rhiannon and her family – Ianto put the flowers down, looking at them closely. He couldn't believe that Jack had remembered, when Ianto himself hadn't. Well, it wasn't something he really felt like celebrating…unlike Jack, who obviously had.

He went to his mobile, thinking about calling Jack…and then stopped, not sure that was a good idea. So much water had gone under the bridge of their so-called relationship, he really needed more time to think before talking to the captain again.

He did check voice mail….and found one from Kathy Swanson.

Ianto listened to the message, frowning at the DI's tirade. He sighed; only gone a couple of days and things were already going to shit.

The dragon quickly rang her back. "What can I do for you, Detective?" he asked once she'd answered the call.

" _Jones!"_ the woman exclaimed, sounding relieved. _"Well, you can tell Himself to keep a leash on that bloody former PC of his and give you your job back!"_

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry, I'll talk to him but I'm out of town at the moment…"

" _Then what she said was true?"_

"There's no telling what she said, Detective." He didn't even need to ask who 'she' was.

" _One of my men asked about you, and Cooper about took a strip off his hide. Then she said you were gone and weren't coming back."_

Ianto's heart froze. Gwen thought he wasn't coming back to Torchwood? Did Jack think the same thing? Yes, he'd told Toshiko that he would be back; and yes, he'd been thinking about not doing that at all, but he'd actually admit to it and not run out on them without notice.

In that moment, Ianto found one reason to go back to Cardiff…to spite Gwen Cooper.

"I can assure you, Detective, that I'll be back. I'm just on…bereavement leave at the moment – "

" _Oh shit,"_ Swanson sounded upset. _"I'm sorry! If I'd known I wouldn't have bothered you – "_

"It's fine. I did tell you, you could call anytime."

" _But not when you're on leave! I really am sorry…for ranting at you like that, and for your loss."_

He could tell she was sincere, and it reminded Ianto that there were good people away from Ddraig Llyn. "Thank you. Look, I'll talk to the captain and see if I can get him to get Gwen to back off. And please assure your men that I will be back, it just won't be for a couple of weeks."

" _You got it. Jones…take care. And I really am sorry about your loss."_

"Thank you again, Detective."

He rang off, sighing. Well, this gave him a reason to call Jack, above and beyond the flowers.

The line rang only twice before it was picked up. _"Harkness."_

Ianto's heart twisted painfully in his chest at the familiar voice. "Captain."

" _Ianto!"_ Jack sounded both happy and relieved. _"How are you?"_

"I'm…getting there, I think." Ianto took a deep breath. "Jack…thank you. For remembering, that is."

" _You got the flowers then?"_

"I did. But really, Jack? Flowers?" He tried to keep the laughter out of his voice, but he couldn't. Ianto couldn't believe how good it was just to hear Jack's voice, and how much he'd actually missed him despite their estrangement.

" _I understand it's a tradition to give flowers for an anniversary!"_

"But I'm a male…and a dragon. I refuse to be thought of as a female."

" _Stereotyping, Ianto? I would have thought better of you!"_

The dragon couldn't help but laugh at the mock outrage in Jack's voice. Gods and goddesses, it felt so good to be speaking to the immortal. "And you're a day late if you were thinking about the day we actually met."

" _Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a delivery to someone on a Sunday? And it was a toss-up between the day I met you as a human, or the day I met you as a dragon. When it came down to it, I realized it didn't matter, since you're the same either way."_

Ianto felt warmth creep through his chest at Jack's words, then tamped it back down. He'd betrayed Jack, and Jack had betrayed him. He didn't have the right to be pleased that Jack had actually thought about the day he'd walked into the _Green Dragon_ and had asked for a room.

But he couldn't just turn his feelings off. Jack might have been able to, but Ianto couldn't.

" _You okay?"_

Ianto shook himself, realizing he'd been quiet too long. "Sorry," he answered. "I was just lost in thought."

" _Ianto,"_ Jack said, sounding hesitant, _"I know we have a lot of work to do, but I think you're worth it. I really want to try to make things up to you."_

"I…Jack, I feel the same way. I'm sorry for betraying you – "

" _No, don't be sorry. You did what you had to do. I'm only sorry that I failed you."_

"I rather think we failed each other."

" _You…could be right. But I've given some thought to a few things you said, and you're right, especially about keeping things to myself. I…told Tosh and Owen about my immortality."_

Ianto almost fell off the bed in shock. He'd never thought Jack would, believing that their two teammates would somehow find out on their own eventually. "How did they take it?"

" _Tosh took it well. Owen yelled at me, but he was more upset that I was hiding a medical condition from him, than anything else. I should have trusted them not to look at me like I'm some sort of freak."_

"Jack, I'm really proud of you." He was. This was a big step.

There was silence on the line, and just when Ianto was going to speak up and ask Jack if he was all right, the man spoke again. _"You don't know how much it means to me that you feel that way."_ The dragon could hear the gratitude in Jack's voice. _"There's something else I want to tell you, but I'd rather do it in person. You…are coming back, aren't you?"_

"Yes, maybe in a couple of weeks. I still need some time."

" _Take as much as you want. We'll be waiting for you when you get here. And then, we'll have a talk."_

"All right." He paused. "Oh Jack…you might want to tell Gwen that."

" _Gwen?"_ Jack sounded confused. _"What does Gwen have to do with you coming back?"_

"She apparently told one of DI Swanson's constables that I wasn't."

Jack cursed. _"I guess Swanson called you about it?"_

"She did. She asked me to ask you to 'keep a leash on that bloody former PC' and for you to give me my job back."

" _I'll take care of it. When you get back, I also want your help with her training. We're going back to the system that works."_

Ianto couldn't believe what he was hearing. He'd never expected Jack to take his words to heart. "Sounds good."

There was a sudden bustling in the background. _"I need to go, got a Weevil alert in Splott. Or should I call it Sploe?"_

The dragon rolled his eyes at the blatant teasing. "Then you should get going, Sir."

Jack chuckled. _"I'll talk to you soon. And take care."_

Jack hung up, and Ianto snapped his phone closed. Maybe they can get past this after all.

He certainly hoped so.


End file.
